Regarding the seat distribution: Unlike the 74-85 and 93-2000 system, it's only the distribution down to the constituencies that is beyond complex. The national figures are perfectly proportional (largest remainder method) apart from the threshold and the 50 (formerly 40) seat bonus.Any system that distributes national seat totals down to constituencies with fixed numbers of seats (and they exist in a number of European countries; Italy, Norway, Denmark IIRC, probably more) ends up forced to distribute some of these seats essentially at random, esp. if the constituencies vary widely in size. (Germany even manages to distribute some seats essentially at random despite not fixing the number of seats per constituency!) Add the problem of the majority bonus and the nature of this election, and very strange things were always certain to happen.Well, I suppose it's good to know for an MP how he got elected.

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"The secret to having a rewarding work-life balance is to have no life. Then it's easy to keep things balanced by doing no work." Wally

"Our party do not have any ideology... Our main aim is to grab power ... Every one is doing so but I say it openly." Keshav Dev Maurya

I find it ironic that the currency that was supposed to enhance freedom and peace in Europe has lead to consequences such as this.

The problem is than every currency is run according to a policy (it's inevitable, even laissez-faire is a policy) and than the policies chosen were beneficial to Germany and North Europe while being detrimental to Southern Europe and France (and UK if it joined, but they saw it wouldn't be good for them).

Sure, from the German view (whose economy is technology-based), Euro is great, but, from countries who aren't beneficing from it (a stong currency manifactural-based economies), it leads to deindustrialisation and the political consequences that goes with that.

Tsipras scheduled to officially get his exploratory mandate at 2PM tomorrow. Odds he'll make it to Wednesday before giving up?

(This definitely overcomplicates things, but I'm in an overcomplicating mood.)

No party has agreed to work with ND (except PASOK, but all they referred to is a "government of national unity"). Two parties have not definitively rejected cooperation with SYRIZA: PASOK and DIMAR. Let's say they cooperate and get 112 seats.

SYRIZA will still need cooperation from right-wing ANEL and Stalinist KKE. That will not happen. But SYRIZA can take the whole three days, and by the end blame those two parties for not cooperating. All this is to suck votes from KKE and ANEL sympathizers in the following election so they edge over ND.

I would say SYRIZA is most eager for an election right now. They can gain votes from new KKE voters who realizes that their votes can make more of a difference with SYRIZA, as well as votes from all those parties not in parliament. There's around 8-9% of votes for anti-austerity parties who did not get into parliament ripe for the picking.

SYRIZA will still need cooperation from right-wing ANEL and Stalinist KKE. That will not happen. But SYRIZA can take the whole three days, and by the end blame those two parties for not cooperating. All this is to suck votes from KKE and ANEL sympathizers in the following election so they edge over ND.

Not cooperating in forming a presumably pro-austerity coalition with PASOK and DIMAR? After all they're conflicting with SYRIZA on that, so either one has to have an enormous Damascene conversion if they're to form just that coalition, and if it's 1) PASOK & DIMAR that have had that conversion they may as well force another election to unite the left behind them, or 2) SYRIZA that's done it, then if anything SYRIZA will be losing votes to KKE, and possibly ANEL, for that betrayal and will receive no sympathy for not being able to form a coalition with the two parties who stuck to their principles.

I think SYRIZA will naturally gain votes from elsewhere, just by being hot on the heels of New Democracy - and the anti-austerity voters will have seen that (and recognise it as their best hope).

Tsipras scheduled to officially get his exploratory mandate at 2PM tomorrow. Odds he'll make it to Wednesday before giving up?

(This definitely overcomplicates things, but I'm in an overcomplicating mood.)

No party has agreed to work with ND (except PASOK, but all they referred to is a "government of national unity"). Two parties have not definitively rejected cooperation with SYRIZA: PASOK and DIMAR. Let's say they cooperate and get 112 seats.

SYRIZA will still need cooperation from right-wing ANEL and Stalinist KKE. That will not happen. But SYRIZA can take the whole three days, and by the end blame those two parties for not cooperating. All this is to suck votes from KKE and ANEL sympathizers in the following election so they edge over ND.

I would say SYRIZA is most eager for an election right now. They can gain votes from new KKE voters who realizes that their votes can make more of a difference with SYRIZA, as well as votes from all those parties not in parliament. There's around 8-9% of votes for anti-austerity parties who did not get into parliament ripe for the picking.

SYRIZA will still need cooperation from right-wing ANEL and Stalinist KKE. That will not happen. But SYRIZA can take the whole three days, and by the end blame those two parties for not cooperating. All this is to suck votes from KKE and ANEL sympathizers in the following election so they edge over ND.

Not cooperating in forming a presumably pro-austerity coalition with PASOK and DIMAR? After all they're conflicting with SYRIZA on that, so either one has to have an enormous Damascene conversion if they're to form just that coalition, and if it's 1) PASOK & DIMAR that have had that conversion they may as well force another election to unite the left behind them, or 2) SYRIZA that's done it, then if anything SYRIZA will be losing votes to KKE, and possibly ANEL, for that betrayal and will receive no sympathy for not being able to form a coalition with the two parties who stuck to their principles.

I think SYRIZA will naturally gain votes from elsewhere, just by being hot on the heels of New Democracy - and the anti-austerity voters will have seen that (and recognise it as their best hope).

Good analysis from the both of you, but I doubt anyone is going to be losing votes to the Stalinists under any circumstance. Just not how that party operates.

“They cheated us again and again, made decisions behind our back, presenting us with completed facts. That’s the way it was with the expansion of NATO in the East, with the deployment of military infrastructure at our borders. They always told us the same thing: 'Well, this doesn't concern you.'" -Vladimir Putin

Ive noticed the North American press is quite biased in their coverage European elections.

You have only noticed this now?

perhaps there is a bit of a slant in Israel-Palestine too.

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“They cheated us again and again, made decisions behind our back, presenting us with completed facts. That’s the way it was with the expansion of NATO in the East, with the deployment of military infrastructure at our borders. They always told us the same thing: 'Well, this doesn't concern you.'" -Vladimir Putin

Well KKE has refused to meet with SYRIZA as well. Tsipras has laid out a schedule of meetings that take him through Thursday so I guess we'll have to wait until then for him to officially give up. He's also meeting with the Greens and another minor leftist party that missed the threshold (perhaps to boost their profile for the next election?) and with "business and trade union leaders" (just for kicks I guess? to make him seem more Prime Ministerial?)

Well KKE has refused to meet with SYRIZA as well. Tsipras has laid out a schedule of meetings that take him through Thursday so I guess we'll have to wait until then for him to officially give up. He's also meeting with the Greens and another minor leftist party that missed the threshold (perhaps to boost their profile for the next election?) and with "business and trade union leaders" (just for kicks I guess? to make him seem more Prime Ministerial?)

Is it possible hes trying to get them to run on a Joint list with syriza for june? iIm not sure if joint lists are allowed or not]